Drip

...and the rain continues. I wonder if in a few years time, we won't call this season autumn, but the monsoon season instead?

Anyway, as I drove home tonight the rain was nothing short of torrential. Along the way I saw a lone female pedestrian, looking extremely uncomfortable - probably because she was getting a drenching in the downpour.

Once upon a time I would have stopped and offered a lift, but things have changed. Whereas I would have been previously happy to offer random acts of kindness such as this, I no longer wish to be looked at like a potential rapist/idiot/mugger and spoken of as that "creepy man who pulled up next to me" to the individuals friends the following day, when I was merely being altruistic.

Similarly, about 18 months ago I was first on the scene to a severe road accident (the car was upside down). I called the emergency services and stayed with the driver for a significant amount of time. When they arrived, they were verging on abusive, despite me having to deal with the incident and direct traffic whilst waiting for them. It makes you think twice about becoming personally involved with strangers at all.

It's a very sad state of affairs. Just as we seem to have forgotten how to be polite and kind to strangers, we also seem to have forgotten how to accept kindness without questioning it's motive, when most of the time, there isn't one.